


All Hung Up

by NorthwesternInsanity



Category: Dokken, Music RPF
Genre: Embarrassment, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Preslash if you squint, prank gone wrong, stuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 07:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14514984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthwesternInsanity/pseuds/NorthwesternInsanity
Summary: It's all fun and games ...until somebody gets stuck. And then maybe it still is, for everyone except the one who gets stuck. A prank war at the end of the tour with Aerosmith and Dokken gone awry for George Lynch





	All Hung Up

"We have to strategize this out _perfectly."_

That was Jeff. Audible across the whole bus. It didn't take Don much to know that he and George, and possibly Mick too, were up to something.

Curious, he went to go see what they were talking about. He found Mick, George, and Jeff sitting around the table in the front lounge with a pad of paper, writing down ideas and such. 

"You troublemakers," Don groaned, not sure whether he wanted to know what they were up to or not at this site. "What the hell are you three getting into now?"

George rolled his eyes, looking down the list and picking up a pen, contributing to it.

"Don, next week is our last night with Aerosmith," said Jeff insistently.

"And?"

"Don, don't tell me you forgot how it is with other bands," exclaimed Mick. "On the last night, you mess with the other band."

"Ohhh," said Don in a drawn out voice, realizing exactly what they were getting up to. "So you all are setting up for a prank war?"

"Yeah, because we're the opening act. The headliner usually gets to really get at the opening act. So we _have_ to get them first and get them real bad so that doesn't happen!" Jeff was all wide eyed and bouncy with excitement -more so than usual.

"Well, make it original, but don't do anything dangerous or hurt anybody!" 

Typical exasperated, overprotective dramatics from Don. He turned and walked out.

"Yeah, we get it," murmured George, hoping that Don would stay out and not come back trying to dictate the plans.

By the time a week passed and the last nights night rolled around, they'd perfected their plan.

Jeff had managed to bribe the keyboard player to alter the sound at the beginning of "Dude Looks Like a Lady" so that it would play out sounding funny. That, the other crew knew of, but it was minor. What they weren't aware of was that now that Dokken had completed their set, Mick was backstage, dressed in drag, and prepared to run out onstage and dance along with the song.

Don had to give it to Mick. That took a lot of nerve, and no shame at all.

George was backstage, with help from Jeff and the crew getting hooked up to a harness. He was dressed in an angel costume -lord knew wherever the heck he'd gotten ahold of one or found time and help to make one -and had a basket full of white feathers. 

The object? Get lifted above the stage during "Angel" and drop feathers on the guys.

That had taken a lot of the strategy in talking out with the crew how they'd do it, and setting up wires the correct way so that George could be lifted up safely and not fall down.

"This is going to be great," snorted Jeff.

"All strapped in and ready for mission takeoff," George declared as the crew checked and had him secured.

"Mick's in the wings, ready to go on as soon as they start. George, if you get a look at their faces, you'll have to tell me. Because I don't know if I'll be able to get in a position backstage in order to see."

"Well, I'll try to get a look from up there. You may have to remember to ask me."

Jeff gave a thumbs up, just as the keyboard came in with the distorted sound effect. Springing wild laughter, Jeff ran to the wings to go watch Mick implement the second stage of the pranking.

Being the quiet one, Don had gone straight from the stage to his shower, and stayed away from the backstage lounge and in the dressing room for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet.

He did have a walkie talkie with him, which was hooked up to the ones the crew had, as well as one that they were going to put on George, so he could listen in on what was happening from where he was in his quiet zone.

Right now, he heard the crew laughing, as well as "Dude Looks Like a Lady," so it didn't take much for him to imagine what Mick was doing.

_Ah, leave it to Mick._ He figured he'd stay back in the quiet until George got lifted up. Though he had a bad feeling about anyone being so far above the stage and wasn't entirely crazy about it, Don was interested to see how well it would play out. Maybe George was into something. Either that or he was about to make a ridicule of himself.

If the latter was the case, it would end up even more amusing than the original plan, especially for Don.

About twenty minutes and five songs later, he heard George and the crew on the radio, saying they were ready to go.

_Alright then, let's see this._ Don walked past the backstage lounge, hearing wild laughter from it, and stood behind the translucent curtain in the wings, watching up to the stage ceiling as the crew worked with the rope system to lift George up.

If George above the stage in an angel costume wasn't one of the craziest things he'd seen, then Don couldn't remember what was in that moment. He did have to admit inside that it already looked pretty funny. 

He found himself thinking it was a shame he couldn't see the reactions to the feather dropping down below -until George had finished dropping feathers and asked to be put down.

"Alright, that's it. I'm ready to come down now."

When George said that, what was planned to happen was one of the crewmen on their side of the backstage area would release the lock on the lift, and George would be able to slowly pull himself down.

What they weren't aware of was that Aerosmith's crew had gotten word and had tied off the line on their side, so that even with it unlocked, the ropes were secured in place, and George had no way to get down. If he tried to pull himself down, it would make the ropes twist around and he'd end up swinging between the lights.

Don had retreated back to the dressing room, and suddenly heard the walkie talkie blare with orders to 'release the ropes' and 'let me get down'.

"Where is everyone?!" George finally shouted.

_What in the world?_ Don went back to the wings to see what was going on.

He nearly lost all sense of composure when he was met with George flailing around and swinging up between the lights, looking angrier than a hornet stuck in a jar.

Don switched on the speaker to his unit.

"What is it, George?" he asked, unable to keep the smirk out of his voice.

"Get me down outta here!" George demanded, forcing his yell so that his throat rasped, voice an octave higher than normal out of adrenaline.

"Last time I checked, you were the one who wanted to go up there," said Don sarcastically, just to poke George's nerves while he was at a safe distance. Ah, sweet revenge for how he'd been acting and picking a fight at everything for the past week.

"For one thing, and then straight back down. And they haven't unlocked the ropes or something. Fix it and let me down!"

"Hey, I'm not the crew in charge of your harness and ropes. I wasn't the one who put you up there, and I sure as hell don't know how I'm supposed to get you down. What do you want me to do?!" snapped Don. 

He sounded as if he were scolding, like he was trying to pick another argument with George. He was actually forcing his tone to keep his voice from breaking, as he was fighting to keep from laughing at the hilarity of the situation. 

Don knew that laughing at George would have been more likely to result in either a: an argument for real between them later in the van to the hotel, or b: George personally pranking him big time on the next part of the tour as revenge. It had been fun for the most part in their time out with Aerosmith, and though George had been picking arguments over just about everything, none of them so far had been really terrible or over the top this go-round, so Don really didn't want the evening to end badly over something silly. Though asking for that not to happen was like asking somebody to drive their head through a brick wall most days.

"I don't know! Do _something!_ Get the crew, or the venue managers, or somebody! Get me _down!"_ shouted George. He swung again, and subsequently flailed his arms frantically, which seemed to only knock him around more into the lights.

Don sighed, biting his lip to keep himself together. 

"Alright -give me a _chance_ to get someone!" 

He turned around so that he wasn't looking up at George, turned off the walkie talkie, and subsequently broke out in laughter, trying to go find where on earth the crew was, since they weren't working as they were supposed to to get George down. He couldn't do much to disguise how the laughs rising to his throat shook his shoulders, but he hoped that walking away made it less noticeable with the distance from up above. If not, well, George was going to have to accept some humility from it! 

_Tough with it, George,_ Don thought to himself, quickening his pace to get backstage. _You got yourself into trouble; you gotta live with the consequence!_

Jeff was backstage, flailing on the couch and laughing his head off. He had tears of pure mirth in the corners of his eyes smudging his eyeliner, and he was holding his stomach and gasping for air. Mick was still in drag, prancing around and continuing his "Dude Looks Like a Lady" impression, and it was priceless on top of George's predicament. Which Jeff had yet to see, and his reaction was only now in response to Mick.

Don would have probably chosen to watch Mick, given it was hilarious, and Mick was always the funniest person in situations like these. But in reality, it probably wasn't safe to have their guitarist stuck hanging between high voltage light boxes any longer than necessary, and as funny as it looked, they really did need to get him down. Preferably as soon as possible.

"Hey Jeff, if you can stand up, go in the wings and look up above the stage," prompted Don, knowing that the hyper, easily amused bassist deserved a look before they got George down. "Go do it quick before the crew comes -George is having a mishap."

He only realized after he said it that it was more embarrassment for George. Not that he was too worried about that.

_Well, he had it coming!_

Jeff stood up shakily from the couch, making his way cautiously to look out from the wings. If there was something to grab onto, he did, and Don could see giggles still going through his frame when he followed him to see his reaction.

"Hey, wait, let me see too!" boomed Mick from behind them, following.

Don snorted. "Make sure you're not on view from the side -I don't think you can get away with that a second time on the same set! No, trust me; it's great."

Jeff had gotten view and he turned around already sinking to the ground as his legs collapsed right out from under him, covering his mouth and trying to muffle himself.

"H-he -did he...! St-stuck?!"

"Yes he did," said Don. "Don't ask me how, but I had to radio the crew, because somehow he got himself stuck there!"

Mick stuck his head out around the inner divider so he could see George above the stage, but people onstage couldn't see him. As soon as George saw Mick, he swung around again, and Don chose that moment to turn the walkie-talkie back on, revealing another shout of "get me down!"

Mick, unlike Jeff, who had politely turned away to laugh, and Don, who had held it in until he was mostly out of sight, blatantly pointed right up at George and roared with laughter.

"Oh, so you think that's funny! You figure out how to get me down then!"

"Oh, George, lighten up! There's risk in every prank -and the danger is the funniest part!" rasped Mick.

"George, I'm trying to be nice down here. But I'm going to be honest. I agree -it's funny," said Don smugly, crossing his arms sassily as he said it just to get on George's nerves.

"Well of course you do!" George groaned.

Jeff snorted. He had pulled his bandanna over his mouth to quiet himself.

That was when George went sullenly silent, having heard Jeff despite his effort to control it.

It was also at that moment which Aerosmith finished another song on the set, and they also were contributing to the ridicule.

"Thank you," said Steven Tyler, before motioning up toward the ceiling and shouting. "Ladies and Gentlemen -George Lynch, everybody!"

The crowd roared, and Mick and Jeff lost it again.

It was a few more songs -with the same aftermath of each, making up half the set, before the venue maintenance team finally got with the crews and got George down.

Don couldn't tell what he and Mick were laughing harder at -the hysteria that had gone on for a good half hour, George's purely indignant pout as he stormed backstage to pack his stuff up and shower so that he was ready to go at the end of the night, or how Jeff visibly wanted to laugh so badly and was holding it in to keep from upsetting George more.

"I don't think there's any question as to who stole the show tonight!" whooped Mick loudly a few hours later as they finally were headed out to the bus

Don gave a curt laugh and slapped Mick on the back heartily. He, despite having the least of any role in the pranking, was having the time of his life. And not from the result of it on Aerosmith.

George scowled and flopped his hair forward over his face, embarrassed.

"Just leave me alone!" He climbed onto the bus, which was taking them to the hotel by the airport they'd be departing from the next day, and went to hide out in his bunk so that he wouldn't have to look at Don's smug look anymore.

George stayed silent and in a bad mood as they checked into the hotel and he went up to his room with Jeff. He was really just annoyed with Don and Mick, but the embarrassment and adrenaline had him carrying it in a way he usually wouldn't.

Those said factors had also drained his energy, and all George wanted to do was go to bed.

Jeff seemed to want to hang out instead though.

"Hey, George, if-"

"Not tonight, Jeff. I'm going to bed," said George, changing and pulling the covers back on his bed before climbing in.

"We could stay up for just a few minutes instead of as long as we usually -"

"I said goodnight, Jeff!" snapped George, turning over and lying down, then pulling the covers up practically over his head.

In the dark, Jeff's shoulders drooped and his mouth turned down sadly.

"George?"

George lay curled up on his side, staring out the window at the lights outside, inwardly cursing Don. He'd egged Mick on and even gotten Jeff laughing at him!

He heard a light squeak of bedsprings on the other side of the room, but unlike he usually would have, he didn't look over to see what was the matter and continued pretending to be asleep.

Then, he felt the bed dip slightly on the side behind him, and the next thing he knew there was the all-too-familiar sensation of a slim body cuddling against him and long, lanky limbs wrapping their way around his own body. Followed by a soft lock of strawberry blond hair sliding across George's face to obstruct his view of the window as Jeff rested his chin on his shoulder.

Hard as he did try to stay mad, there was no hope for George now. His mouth curled up before he could even bite his lip to try stopping it.

"You don't have to be upset," Jeff murmured softly, voice tinged with that subtle nervousness that did George's heart in every single time. 

Without second thought, George flipped over and snatched Jeff into his arms, provoking a light giggle from the bassist.

"Oh, now what's funny?" asked George playfully.

"Remember the first time we went to Japan and I fell through the platform on the side of the stage?"

George smiled, remembering just how precious Jeff had been that night, and then winced, remembering just how painful and nasty the resulting wounds had been -shredded pants and a leg full of splinters. That, and how Jeff had been embarrassed to the verge of tears when it had happened. They looked back on it now and laughed, but it had twisted George's heart when Jeff had been so shaken up and scared of getting in trouble for it. 

All things considered, maybe tonight hadn't been _that_ bad.

"I guess I didn't get hurt like you did," George admitted.

"It was probably more scary for you since it didn't come as a surprise before you could really think about it," considered Jeff. "But Japan was funny, looking back."

George shrugged. "Well, maybe in a few weeks I'll find this funny."

"You still managed to drop the feathers down on Steven Tyler's head," Jeff said through light giggling. "That was funny. Did you manage to see the look on his face when you did?"

George snorted and cracked up this time.

"Yes I did, and it was priceless. Like _where the hell did that come from?!"_

"And then the keyboard thing, and Mick-" Jeff trailed off.

"Oh boy. I guess we still managed to get them good," declared George.

"We did." Jeff sighed.

"What a way to end the tour," George remarked. "Go out with a bang. Too bad it's over; now it'll be a couple of weeks before we'll get a chance to see each other again."

"We could have been spending the last night on the bus. That wouldn't have been as much time to hang out with each other. We are at least with each other for the night."

"True. You staying here?" asked George sleepily.

"I can go back to my bed if you want-"

"No, if you're settled here and you want to stay, you can." 

It wouldn't have been the first time that George and Jeff had shared a bed for a night by a long shot, and any inhibitions against it they'd had in the beginning were a thing of the past. After tonight's incident, George hoped with all his heart that Jeff would stay with him. Especially since this was their last night together for a couple of weeks.

Luckily, Jeff seemed to think so too. An answer without words, he shifted further down under the covers, curled in and snuggled his cheek against George's chest, and gave a deep sigh before near instantly dropping off to sleep the way he often did when they slept together.

George felt his heart swell. No longer was he upset about his embarrassing predicament from the show. All he was aware of now was lightly hugging Jeff to his body and dropping a light kiss on Jeff's head before also drifting off.

Jeff was still with him when he woke up the next morning.


End file.
